What if my boss doesn't like me? Lessons from Vishal Sikka's exit for job seekers with experience

ET Online|

Aug 19, 2017, 03.57 PM IST

0Comments

Job searches get tougher with age, especially when hiring these days is seemingly skewed towards younger folks or specifically those below 35.

Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka's resignation throws up pertinent question for most of us: Can I afford to quit? Job searches get tougher with age, especially when hiring these days seems skewed towards younger folks or specifically those below 35.

It is probably the reason why most of us stick to our current jobs despite the pressures they bring along. Experience sometimes fails to tilt the scales in a constantly changing work environment.

However, there is hope. Devashish Chakravarty, director, executive search at QuezX.com, lists out few things you can do to optimise your job search, especially when you are older and experienced.

If you are in your 30s The secret here is to plan not for the current job search but the one after that. You have tried different things, acquired a bunch of skills and a few lines on your resume. Now figure out how you will give direction to your career to position yourself well for the highest income earning decade ahead.

While you seek professional and personal stability, you can still afford take a few calculated risks if you haven’t found your calling yet. Build a few months’ savings for a rainy day, invest 6-8 hours every week in search and enjoy and learn from each new interview and interaction. Seek opportunities where you can make an impact so that you can create expertise and reputation for future roles.

Volunteer for leadership roles in your current firm and invest in relationships with your coworkers, clients, ex-bosses and industry professionals. They will be your professional network for future jobs and especially in the next job search. Seek mentors and approach your current employer for a change in role.

If you are in your 40s For most professionals, this is the most productive decade of your career in both earnings and impact. The challenge during your job search is to convince your new employer that you are worth the cost. Identify opportunities based on the impact you want to make, the legacy you will build and the recognition and satisfaction you seek.

Now build a story of progression in your career till date. Invest in crafting a resume that justifies your subject matter expertise, your brand and worth and highlights your recent achievements while compressing your past into a few lines. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is an abridged version of your resume.

Now use all three modes of search— professional network, recruitment agencies and applying to openings advertised online. Make sure you look for a job while holding on to your current one. Do not rule out jobs based on description alone since that is rarely a true picture of what the hiring manager is looking for.

In an interview, focus on the numerical impact you have made in the past. For example, decreased production cost by 12% and how you plan to make a similar difference for the new employer.

If you are 50 or above Employers fear that candidates in their 50s or 60s will not have the required energy, motivation, intellectual responsiveness and ability to work with younger people. Additionally, they may be too expensive. Your aim, therefore, is to change the misconception so that you get a fair chance at finding a new job. Learn to make a serious LinkedIn profile as well as a professional error-free CV that is no more than a page and focused on the last 10 years of experience.

Change your email id to a contemporary one. Stay physically fit and well-dressed to convey your energy and willingness to work. Work hard in practicing for the interview. Most senior professionals are sloppy in their approach to job search expecting opportunities to come to them and interviewers to respect their age.

They thus convey laziness and lack of need for a job. While you search for an opportunity, keep yourself involved in volunteer/unpaid roles, invest in gaining familiarity with workplace technology and take online classes to stay on top of your game. Reach out to age-friendly companies and in interviews, share stories of how you successfully worked with younger colleagues and bosses.

As you get older, be flexible about roles and compensation and demonstrate your wisdom, dependability and openness during interactions. Stay positive and do not display anxiety or desperation during a job search.

Just follow these mantras when you feel age is not on your side

Think mindfully Harvard psychology professor Ellen Langer’s experiments show mental agility and even physical health is a flexible number depending largely on how you chose to perceive the world. Think mindfully and notice daily changes and newness around you to improve your mental and psychological abilities.

Think profits Figure out how you can create more cash for an entrepreneur or a business and seek a portion of the profits you generate. Any business will ignore your age if it can pay you from future cash you bring or free up. Both sales by commission and accounting by the hour are examples.

Think expertise Age is not a handicap for a doctor or a lawyer. Expertise is highly valued and most expertise comes from experience. Identify your domain expertise that someone with lesser age or experience cannot provide. Crisis management and complex negotiations qualify here.

Think mentoring When the job market focuses on hiring inexperienced youngsters, it creates opportunities for experienced people to train and bring teams up to speed. Even in your current job, a proactive teaching and mentoring role will make you more valuable for managerial and leadership positions.

Think results Think and talk about outcomes instead of skills or experience. Can you turn around the sales performance of a region? Can you cut down procurement costs? When you offer yourself in the job market, discuss tangible results that you are willing to commit and link your compensation to.